Original Post Date: 05.30.17
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) is a movie that makes me feel good, that gives me hope, that reminds me I have someone to lean on when I am down, just like Adam has Eve.
I watched the movie in a small theater by myself back in 2014. I had patiently waited for it and did not mind going to the only place playing it around me, the place was (still is) my only option for alternative/artsy/foreign/non-blockbuster films available nowhere but there… I hate the place as it is overpriced and small, but I digress, the movie, oh the movie! I still remember clearly the opening scene as I watched it for the very first time, or rather, I still remember how the opening scene made me feel in my own body: elated, peaceful, aroused.
This was the opening scene:
But why did I have such a, ehem, interesting physical reaction to the opening scene, you might ask? Well, I had patiently w-a-i-t-e-d for it for so long that the anticipation was running high, plus, the place was relatively empty (as always) so I felt comfortable as if in my own house with the lights off and stuff, so when the image of the turntable appeared on the screen and the loud speakers started humming and playing the song, performed in this unique and sensual voice accompanied by perfect hypnotic music, which by the way, felt as if it was going around in circles, meaning, you heard it coming from the screen moving to the back of the theater, then returning to the front of the screen and going back again (it did happen I swear! you can even experience this with the dvd if you have surround sound speakers at home), all that along the slow and rhythmic introduction of the two main characters, Adam and Eve, as they move along with the turntable as if dancing with the music while sleeping. Perfection.
So that was that. Now, let me tell you about the movie as a whole. Only Lovers Left Alive is not your classic vampire movie, it is more than that. It is smart, sophisticated, dark, lighthearted, human, and, believe it or not, has love at the core of it all. Yes, Adam and Eve are a married couple who happen to be vampires, but as such old immortals, they gave each other space from one another.
During this time Adam made his life in America, in Detroit, Michigan to be exact, and Eve made hers in the Mediterranean, in Tangier, Morocco. Both apart but still connected by the feeding ritual, both apart but thriving, both apart but content, until not. This is when Eve video calls Adam to check on him and she decides to go see him to keep him company. Adam is depressed.
The following is a deleted scene (included in the dvd bonus content) that perfectly embodies the mental state of Adam, unable to sleep during the day (as all vampires should), as he lays awake mindlessly watching tv:
[ YT video removed ]
Unfortunately, Adam is even contemplating suicide via gunshot to the chest with a wooden bullet.
When Eve accidentally discovers Adam’s plan, she confronts him and tells him: “How can you have lived for so long and still not get it? This self-obsession is a waste of living that could be spent on surviving things, appreciating nature, nurturing kindness and friendship….and dancing!”
Of course it takes more than just words to get Adam out of his head and this is where the beauty of the movie comes along. It is just a human tale told by vampires who love each other.
I wholeheartedly recommend you watch Only Lovers Left Alive. Hope you enjoy it while you still can.
Love you now and forever,
- Marath